Chair structure



Feb. 10, 1942.

w. M. HAIISON 2,272,298

CHAIR STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 5, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I "III" INVENTOR. Il/Vgier 71132 11211071 ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 10, 1942.

w. M. HANSON 2,272,298

CHAIR STRUCTURE Fi'l ed Nov. 5, 1938 s Sheets-Sheet 2 fiyufii l 5 If 11FI ii? I M .L ii

21- I] 3 20 I I lg l/ I 3 5 I! 22 I I \J l f l9 3' i L 6 INVENTOR.

maylter E il-Ian: 01']. I/WIT ear.-

A TTORNEYS.

Feb. 10, 1942. w, MHANSCN 2,272,298

CHAIR STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 5, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR. 5 5? 7Hanson Jr fi adddl/ 4dig- Mab A TTORNEYS.

Patented F eb. 10, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHAIR STRUCTUREWalter M. Hanson, Grand Rapids, Mich., as-

signor to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporationof New Jersey Application November 5, 1938, Serial No. 238,942

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to chair structures; and its object is toprovide a chair structure having improved and simple means for mountingthe seat of a chair on the side standards thereof, particularly seatpivot members ly slid for permitting the varying limited spacing of thestandards apart; and further, to provide in such a structure a seathaving an opening through which said horizontal spindle extends spacedlytherefrom for permitting a limited movement of the seat transaxially ofsaid spindle; and further, to provide in such a structure, a helicalspring around and connected with the horizontal spindle and with theseat for pressing the seat to raised position, and for urging the seatto a resiliently balanced position between the standards, and forcushioning the movement of the seat transaxially of said spindle; andfurther, to provide in such a structure an improved stop member foryieldingly resisting the turning movement of the seat and for positivelystopping the seat in its continuing movement to one of its saidpositions.

These and any other objects hereinafter appearing are attained by, andthe invention finds preferable embodiment in, the illustrative chairstructure particularly described in the body of this specification andillustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational front view of portions of a chair structure,the seats of the chairs being shown turned to raised position;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof taken on line 2-2 ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is an inner side view (enlarged) of a portion of the seat of achair turned to lowered position of use;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of portions of the structure takenon line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view thereof taken on line 5-5 ofFigure 4;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of parts r of the same taken online 6-6 of Figure 4;

Figures I and 8 are vertical sectional views of portions of the seat andconnected parts, taken on line 11 of Figure 4 and showing the seat inopposite turned positions respectively;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of parts mounted on the seat;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the resilient part of a stop member.

In the chair structure illustrated by these drawings, portions of theseats I of a pair of adjacent theatre chairs in a row thereof are shownsupported on standards 2 common to both chairs. The standards have attheir opposite sides vertically extending, cross-sectionally round andpreferably conical, sockets 3; and the seats have openings 4 extendinghorizontally through their opposite sides, i. e., through the sides 5 oftheir bases or sheet metal pans 6. I I

The seats are mounted on the standards by a pair of unitary pivotmembers 1 each having a downwardly extending spindle'portion 8removablyseatedturnably in one of the sockets, and a horizontal spindleportion 9.

- Inside the-pan a cylindrical casing Ill having an opening ll throughits end I2, is firmly mounted on the pans side 5 by-the turned-overflanges [3 of said side. The opposite (inner) end of the casing has ahead l4 secured in place by l6, this head having a central opening lltherethrough. The spindle 9 extends through the openings 4, H, Hspacedly therefrom.

A helical spring l9 surrounding the spindle 9 is connected at one end bya pin I8 at the free end of said spindle, the spring being connected atits other end with the seat, 1. e., the casings head l4, its torsionaltension being adjustable by engaging'its radially extending extremityZil-with one of'the heads angularly spaced projections 2|. The springsopposite end portions, respectively surrounding the collar 22 on thefree end of spindle 8 and the heads flange 23 around its opening ll,space the springs intermediate portion from said spindle.

The spindle 9 has a radial extension or arm (or as shown a pair ofopposite extensions) 25 in the casing, and the casing has on its curvedinner side a stop, member (or pair of stop members) each comprising arigid part, the clip 2'! with converging ends 28, and a resilient part29 of rubber or the like held between said ends and extending angularlybeyond the same, so that in the seats turning movement toward raised orlowered position, the resilient part 29 engages said extension foryieldingly resisting or cushioning said movement; and in the continuedturning movement of the seat it is positively stopped the openingsthrough its opposite ends are shown in Figures 4, 7 and 8.

It will be seen that in this chair structure: the seat may be readilymounted removably on the standards by the pivot members I; that, .byreason of the turning of the vertical spindles 8 in the standardssockets 3, the curvature of a row of chairs may be readily adjusted tothe requirements of particular installations; that the seat may bereadily turned about the horizontal spindles 9 to raised and loweredpositions; that the sliding of the seat along the spindles 9 permitsvariation in the spacing of the standards; that the spacing of thespindles 9 from the seats openings through which they extend permitstransaxial movement of the seat relatively to said spindles and thestandards; that the springs 19 press the seat turnably about thespindles 9 to raised position; that the same springs pressing betweenthe sides of the seat and the free ends of the spindles 9 yieldinglyurge the seat to a resiliently balanced position between the standards;that the same springs spacedly surrounding the spindles 9 are flexed bythe weight of the seats occupant thus cushioning the seats movementtransaxially of the spindles 9; that, when thus flexed sufficiently, theseat bears at the flange 23 on the spindles 9; and that the seat isyieldingly supported for movement in all directions, thus minimizing oreliminating binding and jarring in such movements.

The invention being intended to be pointed out in the claims, is not tobe limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodimentthereof illustrated by the drawings or hereinbefore described.

I claim:

1. A chair structure comprising, in combination: a pair of standardshaving vertical sockets; a seat having horizontally extending openingsin its sides respectively; a pair of separate pivot members for mountingthe seat on the standards, each pivot member having a spindle turnablein one of the sockets anda spindle extending into one of the openingsalong which the seat is movable laterally and about which the seat isturnable to raised and lowered positions; a helical spring surroundingthe second mentioned spindle for pressing theseat toward raised positionand pressing the same laterally relatively to the standard.

2. A chair structure comprising, in combination: a standard having acircular vertical socket; a seat; a cylindrical casing mounted in theseat having an inner head, the seat and said head having alignedhorizontal openings; a pivot member for mounting the seat on thestandard having a downwardly extending spindle portion turnable toadjusted position in the socket and a spindle portion along which theseat is slidable laterally and about which the seat is turnable toraised and lowered positions, the last mentioned spindle portionextending horizontally through said openings spacedly therefrom andhaving a radial extension in the casing; a helical spring around thesecond mentioned spindle portion, spaced therefrom and connected at itsends therewith and with said head respectively for yieldingly supportingthe seat on the second mentioned spindle portion, pressing the seattoward the standard and pressing the seat to raised position; a membermounted inside the casing having a resilient part adapted to engage saidextension in the seats turning movement for yieldingly resisting saidmovement and a rigid part adapted to engage said extension in the seatscontinued turning movement for stopping the seat in its turned position.

3. A chair structure comprising, in combination: a standard having acircular vertical socket; a seat; a cylindrical casing mounted in theseat having an inner head, the seat and said head having alignedhorizontal openings; a pivot member for mounting the seat on thestandard having a downwardly extending spindle portion turnable toadjusted position in the socket and a spindle portion along which theseat is slidable laterally and about which the seat is turnable toraised and lowered positions, the last mentioned spindle portionextending horizontally through said openings spacedly therefrom andhaving a radial extension in the casing; a helical spring around thesecond mentioned spindle portion, spaced therefrom and connected at itsends therewith and with said headrespectively for yieldingly supportingthe seat on the second mentioned spindle portion, pressing the seattoward the standard and pressing the seat to raised position; a membermounted inside the casing having a resilient part adapted to engage saidextension in the seats turning movement for yieldingly resisting saidmovement and a rigid part adapted to engage said extension in the seatscontinued turning movement for stopping the seat in its turned position,said head having angularly spaced projections wherewith the adjacent endof the spring is adapted to engage for adjustably tensioning the springtorsionally.

'WALTER M. HANSON.

